London is a great home base to have while studying abroad in Europe. Once you know your class schedule and have set up a routine, it is time to start planning your side trips. Here are some travel tips and a few recommended destinations for your journey.

Steps

1

Choose a destination.

Search airline websites for flights to places you would like to visit. Sometimes prices can decide your destination for you.

Check dates for festivals and events in various cities, such as Oktoberfest in Munich or Carnival in Venice.

2

Book a flight. Try to book as far in advance as possible to find the best fares.

Ryanair and EasyJet offer cheap flights, but watch out for additional fees and baggage limits.

Flying is not the only way to travel. Especially when traveling within the UK, trains and buses may be a cheaper, more efficient way to travel. For better fares, you may want to book these tickets in advance, but they can usually be purchased at the station as well.

Hop-on, hop-off buses, like those offered by City Sightseeing can be a great way to learn about a city while getting around.

Many cities offer walking tours as well.

Ghost tours are a fun way to see a place at night. Not only are the spooky stories entertaining, but you get an idea of the city's history and hear tales of the people who lived there before.

Pub crawls, especially in Ireland and England, are a great way to meet new people and sample some of the local brews.

6

Do some research.

Look at maps of the city. Find out where your hotel is in relation to the places you want to visit.

Find out how to get to your hotel when you arrive, whether it is on foot, by subway, by taxi, or on a bus or shuttle.

Have a few ideas about what you want to see and do. Plans can change, but at least you'll have a starting point when you arrive. Tour books, such as Frommer's or Lonely Planet, and TripAdvisor are good places to find suggestions.

Check the weather reports to help make packing decisions.

Most of the people you meet in your travels will probably speak English, but if you are traveling to a non-English speaking country, try to learn a few key phrases. Hello, please and thank you are a good way to start.

7

Don't be afraid to talk to people.

Get to know any flatmates and classmates. They may even be interested in traveling with you in the future.

Traveling alone can be fun, but it can get a bit lonely. Take a tour and meet some new people. You might be surprised what you have in common.

Locals are typically very friendly and like talking to travelers.

If you know how to speak a foreign language, even just the basics, don’t be afraid to try. The only way you will improve is with practice and locals love to see that you are trying to learn their language.

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Tips

Pack light. One of the best things about having a home base in London is that you don’t have to lug everything around with you on your side trips. (Though you may want to bring a towel for certain hostels.)

Spend some time walking around in cities and towns as well. Some of the best trips can come from just admiring the sites and talking to people you meet on the way.

Don’t forget to bring any chargers you may need and the proper converters.

Check for student discounts and bring your student ID.

If you are traveling outside of the UK, you may want to have some Euros with you until you can take out more cash.